This is a great place. Their main goal is to do "life together" which translates into everything…read morethey do. It's multicultural and spans a lot of ages as well, so you can find your fit no matter your walk of life. The leaders of the church are wise, kind, have integrity, and most importantly, they teach what's in the Bible. In addition, the other staff couldn't be better people. They go above and beyond in showing love and support. They are very transparent about important church topics like the direction of the church and the budget, and I think the more transparency there is, the better. Definitely recommend checking this place out!

I hate having to write this review, but after the last many years of many people, including myself,…read moreworking with this church to become a safe space for queer people, they ended up doubling down on being non-affirming. It's honestly embarrassing I spent so much time with them and I feel defeated. So I feel it is my fiduciary duty, to warn any queer people thinking about attending here that you will not be safe or affirmed. This church will not have your back in the end. I spent the better part of the last decade trying to work with them, only to have the leadership that seemed to be receptive to me forced out, one after the other. And let's not even start about the financial situation of this church, which is a mess and has been their cardinal sin for decades now as their numbers continue to dwindle due to financial mismanagement and many other things. It's sad to have to write this about a place that had at one point been a very significant part of my life. But sometimes, you just can't go home again. I find spending Sunday mornings at home playing cozy games or going to gay brunch much more spirit filled than church, anyway.

finding a church where I felt comfortable was really important to me, and City First has been such…read morea positive experience. From the moment I walked in, everyone was kind and welcoming, and there are so many opportunities to get involved no matter what stage of life you're in. I appreciate how much they invest in helping others and creating a meaningful impact beyond Sunday services. Every message is relatable, encouraging, and gives me something to reflect on throughout the week. I always leave feeling uplifted, challenged in a good way, and excited to come back. Highly recommend!

We love City First Church. It's a very large church with a big congregation…read more They hold events and are very welcoming. They also do so much for the community. And the sermons are touching and to the point and genuine. I always leave with a feeling of gratitude and can apply the message to my daily life.

Really nice non-denominational Christian church on the shores of the Rock River. Was invited by my…read moregirlfriend to attend services. Everyone was very friendly, made you feel welcome. Was astonished at how many charity events/drives they have scheduled. Very tight knit group.

This review has taken awhile to write, but I was recently talking to someone about weddings and…read moreremembered I wanted to review them. We were supposed to get married at Riverside on 10-17-15. We booked 9 months in advance and paid in full. My uncle was a member there and we had also met the paster, Bobby, through various family funerals and events. Everyone always spoke very highly of him. The church needed to meet with my fiancé and I to discuss details and a little about ourselves. We scheduled this meeting 6 months prior to our wedding. During this meeting, we discussed (as we had done when booking) our wedding plans and how we'd like to have a very close friend do part of our wedding (mainly the vows). We were told numerous times that it was our wedding and they had no problems with it. Fast forward to a month before the wedding. We were in contact with Bobby about the details of the wedding and how we'd like everything to go. All of a sudden, Bobby decided he had an issue with our friend doing the vows. We had planned this for almost 9 months and had our hearts set on it. The only reason we booked with them was because we were told it was okay. We were basically told that our friend could do a reading and that was it. Needless to say, my fiancé and I were pissed. After informing the church of this, we were basically told to take a hike and we'd be losing our $250 deposit. We had sent out invites and purchased decorations specific to this church. It was now 2 weeks before our wedding and we felt very uncomfortable with this church and felt that Bobby would somehow ruin our wedding if we chose to have the wedding there. He all but told us that he didn't want to marry us. We ate the deposit and cancelled when we found another church available willing to let our friend do vows. We were unable to use half of our decorations, and it caused a great deal of stress. The last thing we wanted to worry about two weeks before our big day was finding a new church. Because of this, we had to send out emergency notices letting everyone know about the change in venue. Two of our family members missed the wedding because they had moved and didn't get the update. After all this, I urge everyone to avoid this church. They're rude and unprofessional. Bobby is very pushy and the woman who handles weddings there was very standoffish and unwelcoming. Not very Christian-like if you ask me. My uncle has since left the church because of it. Stay far away from these guys and save yourself the stress if you're looking for a wedding venue. We ended up getting married at Fischer Chapel at Rockford University and we had a great wedding.

To judge a church (thanks Yelp, for a platform to judge not just businesses, but a whole group of…read morepeople, for all time, by the building they meet at) is unjust. Temple Baptist, for the 15 years i went there, has had lots of loving, caring people. Hypocrites attended regularly, too. The attendees at large churches will always range from genuinely loving and caring, to superficial, judging and self-important. Members come and go. Some change for the better, in Christ, and some just stay stuck in self-righteous mode. God says the tell-tale for who loves him is who loves, cares and invests their lives in the poor. It's not a suggestion, but a command. Jesus did it, and Christ lovers and followers are meant to be like him. I really think the Yelp concept is not applicable to social groups. It's not fair to judge a constantly changing collection of individuals.

To Syngin: Your post made me very sad. My father was the senior pastor from 1956 to 1970 when we…read moremoved to Minnesota, so I grew up in TBC. I'm assuming your experience is much more recent than that. I sent your review to the senior staff at TBC. What happened can not be undone, but I hope that it never happens again. I have not been to the church in many years, but I do know the current pastor and his family. I know that both the Pastor and his wife love the Lord and are caring people; but are not perfect people. I hope you can forgive Pastor for getting your name wrong, especially if it is difficult to pronounce. I can not comment on your parent's experience. I don't know what happened, but I do know that the Pastor would never condone anyone being mistreated. I hope your parents will contact the Pastor and share their experience for two reasons: The first is to heal the wounds. As Christians we are not to carry grudges or old hurts. It not only makes our own lives miserable, it damages the cause of Christ. The second is to help the pastor be aware of the problem, and if it still exists, he can take steps to make changes. Kids can be very mean. Unfortunately Christian kids aren't always any different. I hope your note is seen by Sunday School teachers and youth leaders all over this country to teach our children from a very young age that we are to be different. We are to share the love of Christ with everyone. I taught my children that Christians (young or old) are not only supposed to be witnesses for Christ, but we ARE witnesses for Christ. The only question is what kind of a witness, good or bad? Many people will never come to any church, we are the only "Bible" they will ever see. Your review is a good reminder to us all to be sensitive and caring for those outside of our little groups - at any age. Our purpose as Christians is to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ's love for us and to share the good news of our salvation. Have a joyous and blessed Easter.

I love this church! My family and I have been going there for years. They have a great children's…read moreprogram with amazing graphic art on the walls called the Faith Factory - that actually looks like a cartooned factory, painted by a former Disney artist. The youth program is excellent and all of the pastors are wonderful who preach the true gospel of Christ. They have great programs not only on Sunday but throughout the week and the year. Day Camp, Youth camp, Bible studies, Mens and Womens retreats, tutoring club, AWANA, and SO MUCH more!!

Beautiful reverent TLM. Beautiful traditional church. Drive 30 miles to attend mass here and it was…read moreworth it.

Been attending this Church 7 years and attending Fr. Bovee's Masses for 15 years. This Church is…read morethe real deal and should serve as how all Catholic Churches should be. All Pre-Vatican II Latin Masses, a Church Choir, and Church Organ. No contemporary Hootenany especially like you find in a modern Dioceasan Church. Be prepared to kneel for Communion and see turn of the century statues. Church is a religious church affiliated the Institute of Christ the King. After attending here, you'll never want to attend another Dioceasan Church or Novus Ordo Mass again.

The Pastor preaches the gospel truth. Small church is nice and gives you a sense of community,…read moreBilingual service of a bonus.

Beautiful church, congregation was so friendly. Pastor Steve gives a wonderful spiritual service.read more

Went to a beautiful Christmas Day service here when we visited my inlaws this weekend. The entire…read morecongregation, the pastor, and the entire staff were so welcoming. I think we literally shook hands and met every single person at the service. Such a warm and welcoming community, we will definitely come back for a service next time we are in Illinois. The church itself looks like something out of a postcard, absolutely beautiful stain glass all over and gorgeous Art Deco lighting through out.